


liens sea

by kihovely



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Fluff, Happy Ending, Light Angst, M/M, Sex, kiho at the beach, merman hoseok, surfer ki, teenager kiho being in love, they're too cute, too pure, underage drinking and drug use
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-07
Updated: 2018-09-07
Packaged: 2019-07-08 03:06:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15921532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kihovely/pseuds/kihovely
Summary: “Do you want to come over with the boys tonight? They’re nice, you’ll like them.”Kihyun feels excited out of sudden.“Sure.” He replies, smiling once again. “See you tonight.”“See you, Kihyun.”Kihyun thinks for the very first time since he came here that maybe his summer won’t be that bad.





	liens sea

**Author's Note:**

> hello, i finally wrote this!! i've been meaning to for a while so i hope you like it ❤️

Kihyun sighs as the train inspector asks for his train ticket and doodles something over it with a sharpie.

He’s been already 3 hours stuck inside that train, his head aching after two kids sitting in front of him wouldn’t stop crying and yelling the whole time, while a girl in her twenties sitting next to him has spent at least 2 hours talking over the phone with a friend; Kihyun already knew most of her life. At least there was only half an hour left till his destination, but that didn’t feel like a win.

The thing is – Kihyun has just finished high school, his 18th birthday is in 5 months and he’s going to study his college degree as Music major, but his mother still thought he was 5 years old and sent (read: forced) him to spend the whole 3 months of summer at his grandfather’s house, in a god forsaken town near the beach in Tongyeong. Instead of spending his holidays without studying with his friends in Seoul, he had to spend his days collecting seafood and cleaning dead fishes. His dream holidays.

With another heavy sigh, he shrinks in the seat, raising the volume of his phone and headphones to the maximum in a failed attempt to stop hearing the kids wailing and the girl gossiping, and waits for the train to reach his stop.

His grandfather is not waiting for him when he reaches the train station, but he was expecting that. The weather is not too warm, but the humidity hits him like a wrecking ball, making him sweat his clothes like a rainstorm in less than a few seconds.

He curses internally while dragging the big, purple suitcase he’s brought – at least 3 people his size could fit in, and the bag on his back, carrying his play station 4 and his laptop, so he wouldn’t have time to get bored in there. He hoped the Wi-Fi connection was good at least.

He gets on the next bus that arrives and leaves him closer to the harbour, where his grandfather lived. From Kihyun’s memory, it was a small house at the top of a hill, not too high, and from the entrance you could see the whole port, from small boats to big yachts moored in there. He could recall long summer nights sitting on a plastic chair in front of the railing that would keep him from falling 20 meters down, drinking banana-flavoured milk and eating some sea-squirt bibimbap. 

It takes another half an hour to reach the harbour, and by the time he arrives he needs 20 showers, 5 drinks and at least 10 dishes of home-made food. His grandfather is waiting for him with all of that, and Kihyun’s heart swells inside his chest. He missed this – the homey feeling his grandfather’s house would always welcome him with would never leave, but he also doesn’t want to spend 3 whole months stuck in there; 2 weeks would do just fine.

He leaves his heavy suitcase in the small room he always used, indulging on the feeling of how nothing has changed – his single bed with its dark green duvet, the little desk with small souvenirs he would always buy at the street market, and the pictures with his friends hanging on the wall in some kind of messy collage. He wonders if any of them is still living there, or if they would even remember him.

His grandfather welcomes him with honey bread, radish kimchi and some seasoned squid, everything accompanied with his favourite banana-flavoured milk, of course. It might sound gross, but he was already used to it and his stomach received cheerfully every single bit of food and drink he stuffed inside, trying to kill the hunger he’s been harbouring for almost 6 hours.

“How was the trip, kid?” his grandfather asks, sitting on the floor in front of him while he munches on the squid.

“Long.” He munches some more and sips down his cold drink. He still needs at least two showers after this and throw his clothes into the washing machine. Before arriving, he had checked on the daum app the weather and it had forecasted 92% of humidity, so he might as well just die while showering.

“Eat as much as you want, there’s still some food left on the kitchen pot if you’re still hungry.” His grandfather gets up from the floor, groaning and complaining about his age-worn knees and back while patting Kihyun’s head. His hair has grown a little longer and there are wavy, brownish bangs falling on his forehead.

“Don’t go to bed too late, we’re getting up at 6 a.m tomorrow to go to the Street Market and clean fish.”

Kihyun wails as he finishes his drink, placing the empty plastic bottle on the table. If he had to get up that early every single day of his summer holidays he would throw himself in front of the next train and wouldn’t even look back.

His grandfather laughs at his complaints and antics and gets into his own bedroom, closing the door afterwards.

Even though he should get some rest if he wants to be able to even open his eyes the next morning, he puts the dishes on the sink and grabs the keys on top of the fridge, heading towards the door.

There were still the same plastic chairs and table next to his house and separated by the railing as many years ago, Kihyun thinks he should have dinner there one day again, watching as the boats float calmly on the oily water and the sun sets.

Almost trotting, he jumps off and lands on the slope, quickly walking downwards and reaching the harbour in less than a few seconds. Everything was still the same as many years ago – the fishermen’s houses, the turtle ship, the conveniences stores and the little street stalls selling food. If he hadn’t been so full he would have ordered some raw fish, suddenly missing the odd taste on the tip of his tongue.

He walks through the boardwalk, the smell of salt and oil filling up his nostrils. If he walked a few minutes more he would reach the nearest beach, and his favourite at that. No matter how hot and humid it was, there would almost always be wind there and form waves, perfect for Kihyun to pull out his old surfboard and get on the water sea. He missed the feeling of standing on the surfboard and ride the waves, the wind on his back and the whole world at his feet. He felt alive back then.

He hears muffled noises at the distance when he reaches the end of the wooden bridge, landing on the white sand that feels cold against his feet. There is a small bonfire and a bunch of young people surrounding it, all of them boys and looking probably Kihyun’s age. They’re eating marshmallows and have drinks on their hands, Kihyun guesses it’s either soju or beer, and one holds a cigarette between his lips. He recognizes none of his old friends in them when the kids seem to notice him and turn their heads to look at him. He feels uneasy out of sudden – as if he had entered something he had not been invited to, so he decides to just turn around and leave. He could come back tomorrow earlier and actually go surfing.

However, before leaving, his gaze lands on one of the boys, whose hair is some shade of lavender and, despite the distance, Kihyun can see he’s really handsome, too good-looking to even be real.

With a funny feeling on his chest, he finally turns around and gets back on the wooden bridge, heading home.

 

*****

Kihyun does want to die when his grandfather wakes him up at 6 a.m the next working, shaking his body so hard that he almost bangs his head against the wall. He groans and complains and half-cries, but all he gets from his grandfather is a loud ‘wake up, kid!’ from the other side of the house and he knows he’s doomed. He _has_ to wake up. War flashbacks wash over him as he remembers himself, 4 years ago, lying on this exact bed, and his grandfather pouring a cube full of water and dead fish over him. He smelled like fish for two weeks and his skin remained oily almost the same time. Writhing, he jumps off his bed and splashes cold water all over his face and neck, in a failed attempt of waking himself up. He almost nods off munching on his breakfast and later on, following his grandfather into the Street Market.

He works cleaning fish that he later sells to the shop owners, who sell the product. It doesn’t earn much for any of them, but it’s been their job all their lives and they wouldn’t change it now. He sometimes also helped fishermen to carry the fish off the boat and divide it in different boxes that he would later rummage through to clean. From tuna to salmon to squid, he cleaned everything diligently, so fast and effortlessly that it was obvious he’s been doing this since he was a kid; his short, dirty nails digging into the fish’s body and opening up to rip out their guts. It disgusted Kihyun at first, but he ended up getting used to it as well. Even the fish odour that lingered around the market felt familiar to him.

He spots one of the kids from the previous night helping what seemed to be his family; Kihyun thinks he can remember his features through the bonfire. His hair is dyed white, he’s really tall and speaks cheerfully and loudly, Kihyun can hear him even when they’re not even close. His mother rolls his eyes at him and smacks his arm before placing a huge wooden box on his arms, making the kid almost fall to the ground. He’s still smiling nevertheless, Kihyun thinks he has a pretty smile. He looks around, tilting his head to the left to see if he can spot anyone else, but the rest of the people working frantically there are just elders. No trace of the pretty boy with lavender hair.

He shakes his head and dives back into reality, helping his grandfather gutting out the fishes for hours, until the four boxes they’ve brought are empty and his grandfather calls it a day.

 _Finally_ , Kihyun thinks.

“Hey, grandpa, do you still keep my old surfboard at the back of the house?” he asks, once they’re heading back home. He rubs his nose, the strong scent of dead fishing filling up his nostrils and making him gag.

“Yeah, it’s still there.” His grandfather chuckles. “But you gotta wax it thoroughly though, it’s been years since you last used it.”

“I know.” Kihyun purses his lips. He missed surfing a lot. “But I still remember everything I had to do.”

“I guess it’s like cycling, once you’ve learnt you don’t forget about it.”

He waits until his grandfather is already inside the house to take a turn and go to the rear, where his old bicycle, some toys and surfboard are. It’s white, pink and purple, with a black line dividing it in half and some other black flower patterns around the end. It was so pretty that Kihyun fell in love with it as soon as he saw it back then in the store.

He sits down on the floor and waxes it carefully, making sure the whole surface is slick enough, and then grabs his surfboard leash and wet suit. He should have known it was from 4 years ago, when he was 13, and he had definitely grown bigger since then, so it was so tight around his legs and sides that he could barely breathe. His dick stood out and looked like a monster cock, too. He would be embarrassed to death if it weren’t because he knew he was going to be alone at the beach and no one would judge his poor fashion choices. 

Jumping off the fence, he walks down the slope once again and heads towards the beach, covering his groin throughout the entire wooden bridge at the boardwalk so that no one would notice, and sighs in relief when he reaches the small beach, hidden between mountains like a private one. The wind is strong enough for the waves to resurface and he sits on the sand, wrapping the surfboard leash around his ankle before heading to the seawater.

It’s cold as fuck.

He hisses and bites his lower lip as he enters the water. When he’s halfway in he realizes he shouldn’t have worried about people seeing his crotch; the water was so cold that it had shrunk in size into a tiny bean.

Finally submerging himself to wet his hair, he sits on the surfboard and stretches his arms, swimming further into the sea. He gets on top when he’s far enough and the waves become bigger, enough for him to ride them like the wind. The crests of the waves welcome him like a second home and he surfs the insides, moving his hips and legs to perfectly trace the arch they make. He can feel the adrenaline running through his veins, thrill and excitement taking place all over his body as he flies over the waves; he feels free, alive and even happy. He really should do this more often, suddenly regretting not coming at other times to his grandfather when his mother insisted. He _needed_ this.

He loses track of time; it could have been hours or months that he’s been there, but when he finally decides to leave, he almost falls off his surfboard.

The lavender-haired guy is sitting on the sad, with a blue towel expanded under his butt and a pretty smile plastered on his face. Well, fuck.

Shyly, Kihyun swims towards the shore, taking off the surfboard leash and shaking his head; his damp hair falling messily over his forehead and sticking out in odd directions.

The pretty guy is the first one to talk.

“You’re good.” He says, the smile never leaving his face.

“Thank you.” Kihyun scratches the back of his head. “Have you been here for too long?”

“A while.” He gets up from the towel, shaking his legs. He’s wearing short pants and a white tank top. “I always come here after work to relax before showering and hanging out with the boys. But you were here today.”

“I’m sorry, I guess?” Kihyun laughs nervously. “I used to come here to surf a few years ago, but it’s been a while. I’m staying the summer with my grandfather.”

“Oh? Your grandfather lives here?”

“Yeah. He’s Yoo Sunwoo.” He rests the surfboard on the sand, leaning on it. “I’m Yoo Kihyun.”

“Oh my god, you’re Mr. Yoo’s grandson! I didn’t know he had one!” The boy seems really excited about those news, and Kihyun can’t help but smile seeing him like this.

“Yeah, it’s been four years since I’ve came here. I didn’t see you around then, though.” I would _remember_ , he thinks.

“I moved here three years ago.” The pretty boy replies. “But I will be leaving again next year.”

“That’s sad.” For reasons he doesn’t know, he doesn’t like that.

“I’m Shin Hoseok, by the way. Nice to meet you.” The boy – Hoseok – stretches his arm and gives him a handshake. Even his hands are pretty, even though with that see-through shirt and his exposed arms Kihyun could see the boy did exercise. He was thin, but had some muscles here and there too. “Do you want to come over with the boys tonight? They’re nice, you’ll like them.”

Kihyun feels excited out of sudden.

“Sure.” He replies, smiling once again. “See you tonight.”

“See you, Kihyun.”

Kihyun thinks for the very first time since he came here that maybe his summer won’t be _that_ bad.

 

He learns the white-haired guy is Minhyuk and he’s as loud as he first thought, but his smile is warm and recomforting and Kihyun feels at ease around him.

There are 5 boys more; Kihyun learns a bit about them all that night. The one who was holding the cigarette the other day is called Changkyun, he’s the youngest and his brown hair is too short for him to look good; sitting on his left there is Hyungwon, he’s three sizes taller than Kihyun and his legs look like chopsticks and his face makes it seem as if he’s high all the time, but that might be because he always sits next to Changkyun, who keeps having a blunt on his hand; then there’s Jooheon, with honey hair and the cutest dimples Kihyun has ever seen; and last but not least there’s Hyunwoo, all manly and big, but it reminded Kihyun of a teddy bear and wanted to cling onto him like a koala.

Hoseok was right, they were all really nice. Minhyuk offers him some beer as they sit around yet another bonfire and Kihyun doesn’t like beer but he takes it very gladly, grimacing at the bitter taste burning down his throat. Hoseok is sitting right next to him.

 “How old are you?” Jooheon is the one to ask, sipping down something that looked like berry cider.

“I’m 17.” Kihyun replies, Hoseok’s body close to him making him feel more nervous than it should. “Turning 18 in November.”

“We are 7 but still only two of us are legal.” Jooheon laughs. “Both Hoseok and Hyunwoo are older.”

“I turned 18 in March.” Hoseok says, almost like a whisper since he’s so close to Kihyun. Through the bonfire light his face looks even prettier and Kihyun thinks the world is really unfair. “Hyunwoo is the oldest, he’s turning 19 soon.”

“In like, 4 days.” Hyunwoo says, lifting his beer as if cheering. Everyone laughed and started talking about the party, telling Kihyun he was _obviously_ invited and all the alcohol and other drinks they had to buy. Changkyun even mentioned how much weed he needed to get and Hyunwoo smacked his head, asking him to stop sounding like a stoner, but then Minhyuk tells him to stop ruining the fun and they all laugh again.

Kihyun wouldn’t mind spending all of his three months here if they were meant to be spent like this.

“We live kinda near, the rest of the guys live at the other side. I’ll go with you.” Hoseok says once they’ve put out the bonfire and everyone’s picking up the empty bottles and towels.

Kihyun nods in agreement, and he blames it on the three beers he’s drunk that he feels nervous again.

“I live here with my old brother.” Hoseok tells him once they’re walking on the boardwalk, the wooden bridge creaking under their feet. “We work at the Street Market too, but we sell the fish.”

“I help my grandfather to clean it.” Kihyun replies. He makes a mental note about searching for Hoseok at the Street Market the next day. “He’s so good at it, you should see him. I am too clumsy for that.”

Hoseok laughs.

“Are you going to college?” he asks, as they climb up the slope.

“I am, I’m gonna major in Music.” He replies, smiling proudly. He’s really happy about it.

“Oh? You sing? Or play any instruments?”

Kihyun chuckles.

“Both. I play the guitar and the piano.”

“Woah.” Hoseok seems surprised, nicely so. “That’s so cool! I sing too.”

“Really? You should sing to me one day.”

Hoseok laughs, but he shakes his head.

“Maybe.”

At Kihyun’s door, his eyes land on the silver chain around his neck, a mermaid tail hanging over his sternum. It gave off almost a magical vibe.

“Goodnight, Hoseok.” He says, tilting his head. His lavender hair shines under the moonlight and Kihyun thinks his features look prettier than ever; his thin eyebrows, his pointy ears, his cute nose and his pretty lips. He is breath-taking.

“See you tomorrow.” Hoseok gives him another smile and Kihyun goes to sleep with his heart fluttering and a bit tipsy, but smiling too.

 

*****

Kihyun finds himself looking for Hoseok the next day as he gutses out yet another load of fish, his grandfather next to him monitoring each one of his movements and scolding him when his fingers weren’t precise enough and the fish ended up turned into a mess of flesh and entrails.

It’s not an easy thing to do, because he keeps one eye on his fingers working on the fish and the other eyeing the Street Market, trying to spot the stalls where the people sold the fish instead of cleaning them. They were too far away.

“I need you to bring this box to the Shins.” His grandfather drops a heavy wooden box into his arms, full of what they’ve been working on the entire morning. Kihyun didn’t even realise they’ve piled up that much. “They work at the end of the street.”

Kihyun smiles throughout the entire walk. He greets everyone he makes eye contact with, struggling while bowing with the huge box on his arms, but he does nevertheless. He spots Hoseok almost at the end of the Street, with his lavender hair dishevelled and a black tank-top, his muscles flexed as he cuts down some fish and weighs it on a balance it next to him. There are droplets of sweat dripping down his jaw and neck but he looks too handsome to be real.

“Hey.”

Hoseok smiles brightly at him when his face pops up behind the wooden box, which Kihyun drops on the floor, next to the other boy.

“Hey.” He smiles back. “My grandfather told me to bring this here. I didn’t know he sold his product to you.”

“He does indeed, but to other people too. Your grandfather works really fast, the fishermen are afraid of him.” He chuckles softly, tilting his head to the side. “This is my older brother, Myungsoo.”

Kihyun guessed it was genetic because his brother was also fucking gorgeous.

“I’m Kihyun, nice to meet you.” Kihyun bows and stretches his arm to shake the other’s hand. His lips curve into a kitten-like smile that mesmerizes him. What kind of sorcery was spelled on those two brothers, he didn’t know.

“So you’re Seok’s new friend?” he asks, wrapping something that resembled like salmon in a grey paper, handing it to the customer and collecting the money.

“I guess?” Kihyun laughs, nervously. Is he?

“Of course!” Hoseok intervenes, drying his wet hands on his apron. “The boys have liked him too.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” Myungsoo nods his head, already busy working on another set of fish.

Kihyun takes that as his clue to leave, and he bows his head in farewell before turning around and going back to his grandfather, not missing the smile that was plastered on his face the whole time.

 

Kihyun squeezes his tiny body inside the wetsuit and runs towards the beach once all the job is done and his grandfather is busy making lunch. He’s done the way across the boardwalk towards the sea so many times before that he can almost do it with his eyes closed by now.

The water is as cold as the previous days, making him tremble and shiver, but he bites the bullet and submerges his whole body before getting on top of his freshly-waxed surfboard.

Hoseok joins him sometime later, sitting closer to the shore on his usual blue towel, with his legs folded and leaning on his palms to take a better look at Kihyun. The sea breeze ruffles his lavender strands and Kihyun can’t help but think he looks like a mermaid.

“Don’t you get bored?” he asks, once he’s already out of the water and kneeling to undo the surfboard leash.

“I always came here to just watch the sea before, so no, I don’t get bored of seeing you surfing.” Hoseok offers him his usual gentle smile, the one that has Kihyun’s knees going weak. His gay alarms set off everytime he’s near to Hoseok. “I wish I could do it too.”

“I could show you.” Kihyun sits next to him, on his own towel spread next to the older boy. The wetsuit sticks too tightly to his body and he’s very self-conscious about every single detail of his own body showing through the neoprene fabric as if he was naked.

“I don’t like the water.” Hoseok purses his lips into a thin line. For some reasons, his expression has darkened. “I’m scared of it.”

“Oh.” Kihyun nods, looking at his own feet. The atmosphere suddenly feels uncomfortable, and he tries to come up with some quirky remarks. “Is it because of the sharks?”

Hoseok scoffs.

“The sharks?”

“You know, those big fishes that have sharp teeth and they bite.”

Hoseok stares at him as if he’s just said the most stupid thing; Kihyun feels realised because Hoseok is smiling again.

“I am _not_.” He emphasises the last word, shaking his head.

“Good.” Kihyun proddes at his side. “Because I am a shark.”

Hoseok wheezes again.

“You’re a hamster.”

Now Kihyun is the one to scoff.

“A hamster? Excuse me? I’m sharp and intimidating, like a shark.”

“You’re cute and tiny, so a hamster.”

Kihyun pouts, squinting his eyes at him.

“Well, if I’m a hamster then you’re a bunny.”

“A bunny?” Hoseok puts both hands behind his ear and moves his fingers, imitating a bunny.

“ _Yes_.” Kihyun’s heart almost explodes at the sight. “A buffy one, but still a bunny.”

Hoseok shakes his head again, and Kihyun stares from the corner of his eye, trying not to be too blatant about it. He didn’t understand how the man in front of him could be so beautiful.

 

The party for Hyunwoo’s birthday takes place at Jooheon’s house, which is surprisingly always alone; Kihyun figures it’s because Jooheon’s parents are fishermen. He’s brought some non-alcoholic drinks he’s bought from the local market to mix with the actual alcoholic ones, which Hyunwoo and Hoseok have bought. There are beers, soju and vodka, enough of it to probably knock them all out, and Changkyun throws the weed he’s bought on the table, next to the drinks.

“Who’s on charge of the music?” Minhyuk asks, sprawled on a couch, his head on Hyungwon’s lap.

“Jooehon.” It’s Hyunwoo who replies. “You know it’s always him.”

Minhyuk snorts, writhing in Hyungwon’s lap.

“God, there it goes _another_ night of rap.”

Changkyun throws a cushion at his face.

“In this household we do not disrespect rap!”

“I didn’t disrespect rap!” Minhyuk throws the cushion back. “I just want something that I can actually bounce my ass to, you know?”

Hyungwon laughs, stretching his arm to grab one of the beers.

All traces of nervousness and anxiety towards the party that Kihyun might have had disappear when he sits next to the boys, grabs one beer and they start talking and drinking.

Halfway through the party, the music has indeed changed to some mainstream pop and reggeaton that has Minhyuk screaming and _even_ twerking too, while Hyungwon and him just laugh at the boy’s antics from the couch.

Hoseok is talking with Jooheon and Hyunwoo at the other side of the room, his eyes turned into crescents as he laughs and Kihyun wonders if it’s the alcohol, but his heart flutters inside his chest.

“Did we lose Changkyun?” Minhyuk asks, out of sudden, throwing himself on top of Hyungwon. Kihyun is too tipsy to care. “He went to the toilet like, 15 minutes ago.”

“We should look for him.” Hyungwon pushes the white-haired boy off his lap, standing up. “You know how he is.”

Minhyuk and him follow Hyungwon upstairs, in search of the younger kid. They find him sprawled on Jooheon’s parents bed. He laughs obstreperously when the rest barge into the room.

“The fuck are you doing here.” Hyungwon asks, slumping onto the mattress next to him. He takes the blunt Changkyun offers him and inhales deeply.

“I was too lazy to go downstairs.” Changkyun simply replies. His eyes are red and there’s a goofy smile on his lips that seems contagious, because Kihyun smiles back at him.

“You scared us.” Minhyuk replies, stealing the joint from Hyungwon. Kihyun must be really drunk because he swears Minhyuk touches the boy’s lips a little too long on purpose.

“Sure Jan.” Changkyun rolls around, curling up next to Kihyun like a kitten. “If it weren’t for Kihyun y’all would be already making out somewhere.”

There’s a collective gasp that follows, and then Hyungwon is looking at the ceiling while Minhyuk tries to strangle Changkyun and Kihyun suddenly has a joint on his hands when he’s never had one before. Shrugging, he inhales too. He almost chokes on the smoke and coughs several times, feeling the warm substance filling his lungs and making him feel dizzy. He takes another couple of puffs before giving back the blunt to Changkyun.

For some reasons Kihyun can’t really pinpoint, he ends up curled up against Minhyuk, legs over the other’s body and head on his chest, while Changkyun is sandwiched between them both and Hyungwon, when Hoseok suddenly enters the room.

“What are you guys doing here?” he says, laughing. Kihyun chuckles at hearing his voice, because it’s cute and he’s halfway between drunk and high and Hoseok is so pretty.

“Just chillin’.” Minhyuk replies, sounding completely out of it.

“This is a birthday party and y’all decide to cuddle on bed instead of dance downstairs? At least you should have called us so we could have turned this into a full orgy.”

“You wish, muscle boy.”

Hoseok approaches them slowly, sitting on the bed next to Kihyun’s feet.

“Are you okay?” he asks, caressing his foot through the shock.

Kihyun giggles because it tickles him.

“I am.” He replies, slurring the words a little.

“Are you stoned?” Hoseok laughs again, shaking his head. He grabs his hand and tries to drag him up. “Come here.”

Minhyuk complains and tries to hold onto Kihyun while Hoseok keeps pulling from the other side and they almost break Kihyun in half. He finally lets go of Minhyuk, whispering an amused apology, and goes after Hoseok.

They walk onto the backyard, where there is a small garden and some stray cats playing around. Kihyun wants to pet them all.

Hoseok suddenly lies down on the grass, patting the space next to him for Kihyun to lie next to him.

He does.

The town doesn’t have any light pollution like Seoul, so the sky is starry and the moon showcases its bright light over them, so bright that they don’t need any other, the nearest coming from a streetlamp at the other side of the house.

“The sky is always so pretty at night.” Hoseok says. Kihyun feels bold because he’s wasted, so he rests his weight on his side and looks at the older boy.

“It is. I don’t get to see this in Seoul.”

“I’ve never been in Seoul.” Hoseok says, tilting his head to look at him as well. Kihyun’s heart almost stops at the sight – Hoseok’s eyes heavy-lidded and lips parted, his cheeks flustered due to the alcohol and there’s a thin layer of sweat over his exposed chest.

“It’s pretty.” Kihyun replies. “But it’s nothing like this.”

“Here it’s really pretty too. I like it.” Hoseok looks back at the sky. “I like the sea.”

“I thought you were scared of it.” Kihyun frowns. Their arms touch when he lies again on his back.

Hoseok chuckles.

“I guess I am, but I still love it.”

Kihyun doesn’t understand, but he doesn’t care. He presses softly his arm against Hoseok and almost drowns in the smile he offers him.

 

*****

To say that Kihyun woke up the next day with a monumental hangover was an understatement – he almost couldn’t walk and threw up three times in the toilet. Thankfully enough, his grandfather believed it was a sick stomach and cooked him sulguk, the perfect combination of dried napa cabbage, vegetables and meat to calm the storm on Kihyun’s insides. For the rest, he took a painkiller and slurped down 3 liters of water.

However, meeting with Hoseok after the party had been _hell_.  Kihyun wonders if the weed had woken up some kind of sex-deprived monster inside of him, because now whenever he would look at Hoseok and he was lying on the sand, his arms and chest exposed and his hard nipples peeking through the thin shirt, he would feel hot all over and flush and sometimes _even_ get hard. And that was a big problem when he was wearing his wetsuit, like it happened just now.

Kihyun was getting out of the water as usual, brushing his wet hair and undoing the surfboard leash, when his eyes landed on Hoseok, wearing a tiny piece of trunks and his bare chest beautifully sun-kissed, everything adorned with moles and spots that Kihyun wants to kiss very bad. The whole sight messes up with his teenager levels of testosterone and goes straight to his groin.

Hoseok _notices_ , because Kihyun can see him staring and he wants to die. When he covers himself with a towel and turns around to look at the older boy he realizes his cheeks are red and he’s not looking at him.

“It’s the hormones.” He tries to excuse himself. “Also this wetsuit is _too_ tight, it’s from when I was 13.”

He hates himself even more for trying to address the topic instead of ignoring the whole thing and talk about literally anything else. _Way to go, Kihyun_ , he thinks.

Hoseok chuckles nervously.

“What?” he asks, battling his eyelashes and pretending he doesn’t know what Kihyun is talking about. Even lying he looks cute.

“I mean I bet your dick gets hard at random moments sometimes, and at the most uncomfortable ones.”

Hoseok almost chokes on air.

“I-I guess.”

Kihyun didn’t know someone could turn so red and he starts worrying Hoseok might die from embarrassment. His ears are so red that they look like freshly picked tomatoes.

“You should get in the water.” He prods his side, jokingly. “It’s freezing.”

“I’ll take a shower at home, don’t worry.” Hoseok laughs, moving his hand in the air and dismissing Kihyun’s words, but he’s still blushing.

Minhyuk sits next to him everytime they meet at the bonfire at nights, a beer on his hand each time that he gives to Kihyun as an excuse to initiate a conversation.

Within all the boys in the group, he gets along best with Minhyuk, even when he drags him a lot and they have almost constant bickering that make the boys roll their eyes and yell at them to shut up.

They play some kind of truth or dare game in which they ask the most ridiculous questions and, if the answer is not liked by the general public, the person must switch to dare and do whatever they ask him to.

Hyunwoo is the one to suffer the worst consequences – he’s dared to take off his clothes and get into the freezing seawater at night. Not surprising anyone, he does take off his clothes and, hesitantly, walks towards the water.

“Fuck!” he screams, when his feet touch the water. “It’s fucking freezing!”

“That’s where the fun lies!” Hyungwon yells back, laughing on his seat. Kihyun thinks he wouldn’t be laughing so much if he was the one who had to do it.

However, in the blink of an eye, Hyunwoo has grabbed Minhyuk in between his arms and jumped into the sea, the poor kid not being able to do anything as the strong pair of arms dragged him inside. They both scream and splash water and Minhyuk tries to get on top of Hyunwoo and drown him but he fails loudly.

Kihyun fears for his life when both boys are coming back and they look like they plan on playing revenge on them. Minhyuk hugs him before he can even step back and he hisses out loud, feeling his clothes soaking with the cold water.

“Fuck you, Min!” he says, punching the boy on the shoulder and they wrestle on the sand for a few minutes, turning into a piece of breaded chicken.

Later in the night, when everyone has already packed their things and headed home, Kihyun decides not very intelligently to push his luck and try to drag Hoseok into the water.

It goes wrong.

He laughs as he grabs his hand and tries to pull him closer, while Hoseok tells him to stop and drags his feet so that Kihyun can’t get away with it.

“Stop!” Hoseok yells one last time, retreating his arm so hard that Kihyun falls forward and his chin hits the sand, a little shell digging into the skin. He feels the stinging sensation as if it had been a whole rock. “I told you I don’t like the water and to stop, I don’t know whether you were trying to be funny but it’s not, Kihyun. It’s fucking not.”

With that, Hoseok turns around and leaves. Kihyun, instead, rolls on his back and stares at the starry sky for hours, guilt and regret washing over him like a tsunami.

 

Kihyun avoids Hoseok the following days.

He knows the older boy would laugh it off and pretend it never happened, but Kihyun can’t bring himself to face him. Not after how angry he looked and _disappointed_ at him. Instead of being a man and not a wimp teenager, he just avoids Hoseok everywhere, even telling Minhyuk that he’s not going to their weekly bonfire meetings because he’s tired and with a headache. Minhyuk buys none of it but he still doesn’t pressure him.

He repeats the same routine every day; wakes up at 6 a.m, helps his grandfather throughout the entire morning, eats lunch and heads to the beach, surfing for hours until it’s time to go back for a warm shower and dinner.

He spots Hoseok that evening at the boardwalk, wandering around while humming some song he’s listening to on his headphones. Before he can’t even regret it, Kihyun approaches him.

It’s bad again because he scares the shit out of the older boy, who screeches out loud when Kihyun’s hand land on his shoulder from behind.

“Jesus Christ, Kihyun, are you out there to kill me?” he groans, hand on his heart, but his lips twitch into a small smile.

“I’m sorry.” He says, and he means it about everything. Hoseok seems to understand. “I am really sorry about what happened the other day I – I shouldn’t have, you told me you were scared and I still tried to play funny and drag you and-”

“Ki, it’s okay.” Hoseok interrupts him, and reaches out to grab his hand. “I just really _can’t_ get into the water, but I’m not angry. I’m sorry I snapped like that, too.”

“You had all the rights to be angry at me, though.” Kihyun pouts, but his heart skyrockets feeling Hoseok’s hand around his. “But is it that bad? Are you really that scared?”

“You could say so.” Hoseok replies, mysteriously. He doesn’t give Kihyun room to reply as he starts walking and pulls his arm to walk next to him.

The sea breeze is cool and the air too humid, making Kihyun sweat and get goosebumps, but the reason behind his palm sweating is nothing but Hoseok, who doesn’t let go and sometimes even squeezes it as they walk along the boardwalk.

“We missed you these days.” Hoseok pulls him to sit on the edge of the boardwalk, legs hanging and facing the beach. “Minhyuk was fuming because had had no one to roast.”

Kihyun chuckles at the thought.

“I was scared you hated me.” Kihyun confesses, in a low voice and looking at his feet.

“I mean, I was pissed, but I would never hate you. It’s not your fault.” Hoseok pats his thigh.

“How is it not my fault?”

“Just because.” Hoseok pats his thigh again. “Don’t dwell on it any longer, we are okay.”

“Alright.” Kihyun nods, finally allowing himself to get rid of the guilt he’s been bottling up inside these days. “I’ll treat you to a beer next time.”

Hoseok agrees absentmindedly, looking at the beach with a gloomy expression on his face. It makes Kihyun’s heart ache.

“I still haven’t wrapped my mind around the fact that I will be leaving next year.” He says, biting his lower lip.

“But you will be back right? Or is it for good?”

Hoseok tilts his head to look at him and Kihyun understands. It _is_ for good.

For some reasons, Kihyun doesn’t like that.

“Oh.”

“It’s not like I have any choice.” Hoseok tries to laugh it off, his lips curving into a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. “It’s been decided like this.”

“Is it because of your parents? Maybe you could convince them to come back next summer.”

Hoseok gives him an apologetic smile.

“I wish I could, Ki.”

Kihyun inhales deeply when Hoseok shifts closer and rests his head on his shoulder, his lavender hair tickling Kihyun’s cheek. He smells like flowers and the sea, even when he never gets into the water.

“Don’t avoid me for another two weeks, please.” Hoseok mutters after a while, and his voice is as calm as the waves crashing in front of them. Kihyun feels thousand butterflies threatening to rip a hole through his stomach. “I will be leaving soon.”

“In two months.” Kihyun points out. “I will be leaving for college too.”

“I know.” Hoseok lifts his head, with his face inches away from Kihyun. His eyes drop to Kihyun’s lips and he swallows hard. There was no one single imperfection on Hoseok’s face, even the little acne marks and spots were so beautiful that Kihyun wanted to pepper him with kisses and praise.

“You’re pretty.” Kihyun doesn’t have anything to blame this time about his words but himself. He’s okay with that.

Hoseok is about to reply when they hear a loud shriek from behind, making them jump two continents apart from each other.

“Geez, you two should get a room!” Jooheon yells at them, sitting in between and throwing his arms around both of their necks to pull them into a forced hug.

“Ya, Jooheon!” It’s Minhyuk, who approaches them too. “I told you to leave them alone!”

“But I was getting jealous.” Jooheon pouts, but the look he gives at Hoseok is more severe than anything else.

Kihyun frowns.

“I should get going.” Hoseok gets off the edge and lands on the boardwalk with a loud thud. “Gotta help Myungsoo tomorrow morning and I’m tired.”

“I will be leaving too.” Kihyun frees from Jooheon’s embrace and stands up, too. For some reasons, he knows he’s not going to be alone with Hoseok again.

“I’ll go with you.” Jooheon pats Hoseok’s shoulder, motioning for them to get going. Hoseok gives him another apologetic smile before bidding farewell to him and Minhyuk and leaving.

Kihyun walks home with Minhyuk with a permanent frown on his face, his eyebrows knit together and his lips pursed into a thin line.

“You’re fuming.” Minhyuk hums, prodding at his side. “Is it because of Jooheon?”

“I don’t know.” Kihyun knows he can trust the other boy. “I feel like he’s scolding Hoseok just now.”

Minhyuk shrugs.

“I’ve never known for sure what kind of relationship Hoseok and Jooheon share, but he’s always been very over-protective. They also arrived here together, so I guess they’ve been friends since childhood.”

“Is he leaving too?”

“I guess so.”

Kihyun’s frown deepens. As far as he knew, Jooheon and Hoseok were not related, but Jooheon sometimes acted like he was some overprotective parent and Hoseok a kid that would fuck up sooner than later. It didn’t make any sense.

Minhyuk wraps him into a tight hug before pushing his butt inside his house (literally) and Kihyun gets on his bed.

He dreams about kissing Hoseok that night.

 

*****

Kihyun jumps off his bed, startled, when the loud thud of stones against the window resounds throughout his entire bedroom. He opens the window to meet Hoseok, looking at him from the slope and with another stone on his hand, ready to throw it again.

“Are you nuts?” he asks, yelling softly. “You’re going to break the glass!”

“But I didn’t!” Hoseok replies, smiling too. He’s wearing the same clothes as the previous night, and Kihyun realizes it’s 5 in the morning _and_ Sunday, which means he didn’t have to get up early that day. He curses at Hoseok in every language.

Still with his eyes half-closed and yawning, he changes his clothes into a pair of short pants and the first t-shirt he grabs from his wardrobe and, tiptoeing, walks out of the house, closing the door quietly behind him.

“You better have a good reason to drag me out of bed at this hour.”

Hoseok smiles brightly at him.

“I do.” He says, holding his hand and pulling him down the slope. “Come here.”

He doesn’t say anything else as he gets on the boardwalk and heads toward the beach, keeping Kihyun next to him all the time. It does things to Kihyun’s heart how he’s holding his hand so tightly, sometimes even rubbing his thumb against his palm.

There is no one outside, but Kihyun thinks it’s understandable – it’s 5 a.m, the sun is barely rising and it’s Sunday; no one would wake up until 9 a.m at the very least (Kihyun would until 11, but Hoseok had other plans.)

Kihyun realizes only then how nervous Hoseok actually looks; he’s fidgeting, his cheeks are flustered and he keeps looking everywhere but Kihyun.

“Is everything alright?” he asks, raising an eyebrow. Hoseok takes a deep breath before he starts taking off his clothes.

Oh.

 _Oh_.

“W-What-” Kihyun tries to say something, but his mind is unable to form a coherent sentence when Hoseok is only wearing his underwear in front of him. Kihyun’s mind gets all the wrong thoughts at the situation – being alone early in the morning, Hoseok’s nervousness, his clothes off.

“I want to show you something.” Hoseok bites his lower lip, approaching him.

Kihyun could die right there.

“I mean – isn’t it a bit too early to do _this_? We haven’t even kissed and-” he tries to ask, gesticulating with each one of his words.

Hoseok squints his eyes at him.

“Do what?”

“ _This_.” Kihyun points at him and then at himself. “Sex.”

Hoseok’s face turn into an horrified one for a few seconds before he bursts out laughing, crouching down on the sand and almost rolling around.

Well, now Kihyun is lightly offended.

“Sex?” Hoseok wipes away his tears. “Oh my god, I really did give that impression, didn’t I.”

“Well,” Kihyun pouts. “You kinda did.”

The older guy shakes his head as if Kihyun had said the most ridiculous thing in the entire world.

“It’s not about that.” Hoseok swings on his heels. “It’s actually something important.”

“Oh.” Kihyun feels nervous out of sudden, but for all the wrong reasons. Hoseok seems about to pass out again. “It’s alright, you can trust me.”

“I know.” Hoseok offers him one of his genuine smiles that Kihyun loves so much. “That’s why I want to tell you – I had Jooheon telling me again and again how I should not do this or that, but I’m tired, Ki.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I just want to tell you the truth. I want _this_ – what we have, to be as genuine and real as possible, I don’t wanna hide from you.”

“Hoseok, you’re scaring me.” Kihyun tries to chuckle. “Are you going to come out as a vampire and suck my blood?”

“I’m not a vampire.” Hoseok scoffs. “I’m prettier than that.”

Kihyun wants to ask what he means but then Hoseok is turning around and heading towards the seawater. Kihyun almost has a heart attack when the older boy gets in the water and submerges his whole body, only popping out his head a few seconds later.

Kihyun moves closer.

And closer.

He freezes in place when he reaches the shore.

He blinks a few times in order to process what is happening in front of him; there in the water, there’s Hoseok, with his lavender hair stuck to his forehead and the silver chain glowing around his neck, but then his legs have morphed into well, into a _tail_.

“What the actual fuck.”

He rubs his eyes, trying to figure out if this is a dream and he’s going to wake up anytime soon, but he doesn’t.

“I mean, I told you I’m prettier than a vampire.” Hoseok pouts, smiling nervously at Kihyun.

Kihyun wants to say something, but his brain has shorted. Instead, he keeps staring at the light-pink tail that starts around Hoseok’s waist, right down his navel, and expands downwards, ending in flukes that sparkle as if they were covered in glitter. At Hoseok’s sides, there are two slits that open and close every few seconds; Kihyun realizes they’re gills.

“What the actual fuck.” He repeats, still not believing his eyes.

He turns around in fear of seeing someone near the beach that could see Hoseok, but they are still pretty much alone. He looks at Hoseok once again, squatting next to him.

“I-Is this real?” he asks, hesitantly. There was no way it could be fake, but he _still_ had to ask. It felt surreal.

“It is.” Hoseok chuckles.

“Can I touch?” Kihyun bites his lower lip. He takes a better look and realizes there is, indeed, glitter all over Hoseok’s scales. It looks breathtakingly beautiful.

Hoseok splashes his fluke against the water and turns around, tilting his head to let Kihyun know he can touch.

It’s viscous and surprisingly warm, Kihyun takes his time caressing all over the tail, from his waist to the fluke. No wonder Hoseok smelled like the sea, he _was_ part of it.

“I am midway between mind-blown and wonderstruck.” Kihyun says, sitting next to him. He doesn’t care at this point whether his pants get wet or not.

Hoseok places next to him, stretching his tail next to Kihyun’s legs. Any trace of fear he might have had about telling Kihyun disappear when the younger boy grabs his hand, interlocking their fingers.

“It’s going to take me a while to get used to this.” Kihyun says, resting his head on Hoseok’s shoulder.

“It’s okay.” Hoseok rest his own head on top of Kihyun’s. “I’m just really happy I could tell you.”

“Is Jooheon a – _merman_ , too?” he asks, struggling to find the correct word.

“He is.” Hoseok holds his hand tighter. “He’s supposed to watch over me so I don’t…go out of my way, I guess.”

“How so?”

“You see, the reason I have to leave,” Hoseok swallows hard, Kihyun can hear his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. “It’s because I’m the Prince of the South Pacific Ocean.”

Kihyun would laugh if he didn’t have a whole pink tail in front of him.

“I will inherit the Crown when I turn 19, that’s why I will be leaving next year and I won’t be coming back.”

“Oh.” Kihyun doesn’t know what to think of it. “But, why are you here?”

“We are allowed to come to Earth once we turn 15, and I was dying to.” Hoseok laughs, but it’s a sad-type of laugh. “I would be able to stay if only I wasn’t a Prince.”

“B-But…isn’t there anyone else who can do it? Myungsoo?”

“He’s not my real brother, just the protector of the realm. My younger brother won’t turn 19 until 12 years later.”

Kihyun hollows his cheek as he tries to come up with a solution, but there is none.

“I will miss you.” He says, a heavy feeling settling behind his ribcage, next to his heart.

“Me too.” Hoseok’s lips curve into a sad smile. “But hey, we have two months left together and – if you want, I’d like to spend them next to you.”

Kihyun thinks he’s going to be devastated when the time comes, but it’s still not there, and he would regret it even more if he just didn’t enjoy those two months with Hoseok. He decides to let go of his inhibitions and fears and nods.

“I’d love to.”

Kihyun looks up to meet Hoseok’s face so close that his breath tickles his lips. He takes a deep breath and feels waves of heat when Hoseok drops his gaze to Kihyun’s lips, then looks up again. He’s not positive whoever leans in first and closes the distance between them, but it doesn’t matter. Hoseok’s lips are warm and taste of salt and sunlight, just like how Kihyun had picture they would in his mind, and he gasps when Hoseok darts out his tongue and takes a tentative lick along his lower lip, asking for permission. Kihyun shifts closer and opens his mouth to deepen the kiss, but there’s no tongue – not just yet, and their teeth clash from time to time but it’s perfect. Kihyun’s heart could burst out of his chest at any moment.

Breathing erratically, Hoseok breaks the kiss but doesn’t move, letting their noses still touch. His eyes are closed and his cheeks red, which makes Kihyun feel the sudden urge to kiss him again, so he does.

They walk hand in hand back to the town when Hoseok has dried and his tail had disappeared and switched into his usual pair of legs. Kihyun was dumbfounded when that happened, and even more dumbfounded when they reach his door and Hoseok kisses him goodbye.

Now, he could get used to this.

 

Everyone notices when they meet up that week for their weekly gathering around the bonfire. Kihyun doesn’t know how, but they just _know_.

He wonders whether it might have been that they arrived hand in hand or that Hoseok gently brushed his fringe off his forehead and gave a short peck. Everyone seemed to be happy for them except Jooheon, who kept sending wary glances at Kihyun and that he very diligently dodged and ignored. Joohen could eat his ass for all he cared.

“Just ignore him, he’s probably worried you will out me to some mad scientist that will use me for their experiments and skin me alive, but I know you would never do that.”

Kihyun looks at him horrified.

“Of course I would never do that.” He stresses each word, somewhat angry that Jooheon would think that of him. “Do the rest know?”

Hosek shakes his head no and Kihyun’s heart swells – Hoseok had only trusted him with such an important secret, and it meant the world to him.

“Guys, all of this love-talk is making me sick.” Minhyuk forces Hoseok to move aside and sits between them. “I miss my Kihyunnie, I’m here to take him back.”

Kihyun chuckles, rolling his eyes at the white-haired guy.

“You just miss roasting me because Hyungwon doesn’t take any of your shit.”

“He takes other things.” Minhyuk says, out of sudden, and he hears Hoseok choking on air behind him. Kihyun pretends he didn’t listen to that, and Minhyuk leaves his seat between them complaining about how he’s been betrayed and thrown into the nearest ditch.

Jooheon approaches them halfway into the night. Hoseok is reluctant at first, but Kihyun insists on talking to him. He wants to let Jooheon know he’d never do anything that could hurt Hoseok.

Jooheon walks a few meters away from the others, he can hear Minhyuk yelling at Jooheon not to be a petty prick, but Jooheon ignores him vehemently and only looks at Kihyun.

“So I guess Hoseok has told you.”

He nods.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you or have anything against you, Kihyun, but you need to understand how important this is for us and what would happen if other people found out.” Jooheon talks slowly, punctuating each word. His expression is serious but he means no wrong.

“I know.” Kihyun says. “I would never do or say anything that could hurt Hoseok – or you. I promise.”

“But you like him.” Jooheon says it so casually that Kihyun almost drops to his knees.

“W-What.” He stutters, his mind racing with thoughts. Was it so obvious?

“I just hope you understand how important is for us that he’s going to be our next Prince, and I’m scared he won’t do it if he’s with you.”

“Shouldn’t you be happy about the fact that he’s happy with someone else rather than take all of this away from him?” Kihyun asks. He understands Jooheon but he also doesn’t want to leave Hoseok’s side. Not just yet.

“It’s not like that.” Jooheon heaves a sigh, brushing his hand through his honey hair. “Listen, just – let’s enjoy the remaining days together and not think about it. When the time comes, I know you both will do the correct thing.”

Kihyun wanted to ask what the correct thing was, because they probably had different ideas in mind, but instead he just nods and goes back to the bonfire.

Hoseok interlocks their fingers when he’s sitting back next to him.

 

*****

The first time it happens it’s at Kihyun’s bedroom.

His grandfather was going to be out for the whole day with some of his friends to drink soju and play cards at the nearest (and only) bar in town, and Kihyun decided to stay at home and play some videogames on his long-forgotten laptop in his suitcase, but he called Hoseok to come over.

The older boy spent a few minutes looking through Kihyun’s bedroom – from his papers and little souvenirs at the desk to the pictures hanging on his wall of the friends he used to have when he came here in summer. Kihyun makes a mental note of adding the new ones he’s taken with the boys next time he comes to town.

Hoseok had slumped on the mattress then, lying next to him while Kihyun kept pressing the space bar and the G and W keys while playing GTA.

“That game is terrible.” Hoseok says, shifting closer to take a better look. “I can’t believe you play this shit.”

“It’s entertaining enough for me to spend my free time.” Kihyun replies, pouting. He stops the game and looks at Hoseok from above.

“You could spend that time kissing me instead.”

Kihyun very gladly closes his laptop and places it on the floor, turning his full attention to Hoseok.

They kiss slowly, both lying on their sides and Kihyun has both hands cupping Hoseok’s cheeks, gently caressing his skin. The kiss becomes more heated and Kihyun gasps when Hoseok straddles him, sitting on his lap. He’s almost two sizes bigger than him but he looks so beautiful on top of him.

Hoseok bends over and kisses him again, this time he _does_ push his tongue inside and, timidly, grazes Kihyun’s, as if asking for permission. Kihyun buries his fingers inside his lavender strands of hair and pulls him closer, letting their tongues touch and play together at the same time their lips move. It’s a bit messy and sloppy, but they finally find the perfect rhythm and kiss more roughly, more needy. Hoseok suddenly rolls his hips and _grinds_ against him, making Kihyun moan into the kiss. It surprises both of them, and Kihyun can feel his cheeks turning a burning red when Hoseok stares at him from above, genuine surprise in his eyes at the sound Kihyun has made but also obviously aroused by it.

“I’ve never felt like this.” Hoseok says, bringing his lips against Kihyun’s neck. “I feel so…hot. And hard.”

Kihyun chuckles softly. He sometimes forgets Hoseok is actually a merman and the whole human life must still be new to him, mostly at times like this.

Not that Kihyun was experimented himself – heck, he didn’t even kiss anyone before Hoseok that day at the beach, but he’s had his fair share of night-moments with his right hand, so he more or less gets the feeling.

“You’ve never masturbated?” Kihyun asks, his breathing getting more irregular as Hoseok sucks on his collarbones.

“Masturbate?” Hoseok lifts his head to look at him. His clueless expression is so cute that Kihyun cups his cheeks and pecks his lips.

“Yeah like – when you get, mm, hard, you hold your dick and do these things with your hand and it feels good? And then it feels even more good and you come.” If it weren’t because Hoseok really looked as if he had no idea, Kihyun would have banged his head against a wall after explaining that.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Hoseok pouts. “Sometimes when I woke up my dick would be hard but I just showered and that was it. I’ve never felt it hard like _this_ before.”

“Do you want me to take care of it?” Kihyun asks, shyly. He props on one elbow and leaves a trail of kisses along Hoseok’s jaw.

“Take care of it?”

“And make you feel good.” Kihyun adds, sucking harder against Hoseok’s jugular. “Just lie down and let me make you feel good.”

“I’d like that.” Hoseok nods and lies on his back, spreading his legs a little.

Kihyun takes his sweet time peppering kisses all over Hoseok’s face and neck, dragging his teeth along the older’s collarbones and shoulders.

Hoseok’s nipples are hard when Kihyun takes off his shirt, leaving his chest bare for Kihyun to kiss all over. He wraps his lips around one of Hoseok’s hard studs and rolls his tongue over it, softly nibbling and making it even harder. It has Hoseok squirming and whimpering underneath him, his hands grabbing tightly Kihyun’s shoulders, to the point that he knows he’ll have marks the following day.

Kihyun darts his tongue inside Hoseok’s navel and kisses all over his defined abs, even biting lightly at his hipbone before pulling down his pants and underwear.

Hoseok closes his eyes tightly when he’s all naked, flushing under Kihyun’s gaze.

“You are really so beautiful.” Kihyun mutters, not even hesitating to bring his lips against Hoseok’s thighs and leave a trail of kisses all over them. Hoseok’s body tenses when Kihyun moves nearer his inner thigh, the skin too sensitive even against his lips.

“Hoseok,” he says, looking up to meet the other’s eyes. “Are you really sure about this? Do you want this too?”

“Yes.” Hoseok nods, biting his lower lip. “I don’t know much about this but I trust you, I want you to make me feel good.”

Kihyun nods, smiling at him before giving him another peck and turning his attention back to Hoseok’s dick. It’s thicker than long, but it suits Hoseok’s body just fine, and Kihyun’s mouth waters at the sight; the pink, flustered tip against Hoseok’s stomach and leaking pre-cum, twitching with arousal and need.

 Kihyun grabs the base gently and gives a few strokes, but it’s dry and probably really uncomfortable, so he decides just to get into the business.

With a tentative lick of his tongue along the slit that has Hoseok moaning softly, he wraps his lips around the tip and bobs his head, taking more and more of the length with each suck as his saliva serves as a lubrication and allows him to go further, until his throat closes and doesn’t allow him to take more. He gags a little, feeling tears gathering on the corner of his eyes, but it doesn’t stop him from keep doing his manoeuvres.

He stops for a brief moment to look at Hoseok, using his hand instead now that his dick is all wet.

“Is this okay?” he asks, pumping Hoseok’s member slowly. “Does it feel good?”

“Fuck, Kihyun, it feels so good.” Hoseok moans, arching his back. Kihyun can see he’s close. “Please don’t stop, I-”

“I know, baby.”

With that, he grabs Hoseok’s ass and lifts his hips a little to make it easier to go down on him. He palms Hoseok’s balls with his left hand at the same time he sucks on him, and that’s enough to bring Hoseok over the edge. He comes on Kihyun’s mouth, his body trembling and shaking as the orgasm washes over him, and Kihyun swallows everything very diligently, even if it tastes awful and makes him gag at the thickness of the substance.

Hoseok lies flat against the mattress, his chest rising and falling with each breath as he tries to calm down. Kihyun gets on top of him and kisses him softly, caressing his cheek.

“How was it?” he asks.

“Fuck, it was – I had no idea it could felt that good.” Hoseok’s cheeks redden at his own innocence, and Kihyun kisses him at least a thousand times. “But you are still hard.”

Kihyun _knows_. He’s been trying to ignore the aching hard-on inside his pants but it’s almost unbearable. At this point he could grind against the sheets and come as well.

“Do you want to help me?” he asks, whispering against Hoseok’s ear and sucking on his earlobe.

Hoseok nods, his hands already on Kihyun’s body and taking off his own shirt.

“Tell me what to do.” Hoseok says, lips glued against Kihyun’s torso. He does just like Kihyun has done before, kissing all over his chest and sucking on his nipples. Hoseok wraps his lips around his sensitive nipples so erotically that Kihyun almost comes inside his pants.

“Lie on your back.” Kihyun orders, gently pushing Hoseok down. “And lift your legs”

Hoseok does, and Kihyun swiftly takes off his pants, almost moaning at the sensation of finally being out of that cage. Since they don’t have any lube, Kihyun spits on his hand and uses it to pump his member into full hardness before he places against Hoseok’s body and shoves his dick between his thighs, holding both of his legs in the air. Hoseok’s thighs are thick and warm and press so nicely against Kihyun’s dick that he doesn’t even last a couple of minutes. With a few strokes of his member between Hoseok’s thighs, he feels his orgasm building up inside his stomach and speeds up the pace, not even caring about the chafing sensation that starts burning on his dick, because soon enough he’s coming all over Hoseok’s tummy, holding tightly onto his legs and waist as he comes undone.

With a deep breath, he slumps dead onto the mattress, next to Hoseok’s body, and shifts closer to rest his head on his chest.

“We should clean up.” Kihyun suggests, his eyes landing on his cum on Hoseok’s stomach. The sight has his cheeks turning red. “Do you want to shower?”

“I mean, if you have a bathtub, I guess we could fit.” Hoseok laughs.

“What’s wrong with a shower stall?” Kihyun asks frowning, and Hoseok just shakes his head.

Later on, in the bathtub, when they’re both inside and Kihyun has Hoseok’s pink tail next to his face, he realizes what was wrong with shower stalls.

 

Kihyun ends up going surfing at 5 a.m most of the days instead of after work, because it’s the only time he can freely surf and have Hoseok swirling around him carefree, without worrying that anyone would come and see him. His grandfather didn’t question his antics as long as he still helped him at the Street Market, which Kihyun did, but he would fall asleep as soon as he got home afterwards and wake up for lunch.

Kihyun tightens the surfboard leash around his ankle and get on the water, smiling at Hoseok, who is already inside.

“Christ, it’s even colder now.” Kihyun hisses when the frozen water reaches his waist. Hoseok holds himself on his shoulders and leaves a wet kiss on his cheek before giggling and going back into the water, waiting for Kihyun to fully get inside as well. The water might be cold but his heart almost explodes with warmth when Hoseok kisses him.

He gets on top of the surfboard and swims towards the waves, standing up when big ones resurface and he can ride them perfectly with a swift movement of his legs and hips. Hoseok swims underneath him, taking the waves as well. The water is crystal clear and Kihyun can see his light-pink glittery tail through the surface, as he swims and shifts inside the water. Kihyun can see him blowing a kiss at him and he rolls his eyes, carefully not to fall from the surfboard.

However, all of his meticulous actions not to fall are boycotted when Hoseok slaps his fluke against the surfboard and Kihyun loses his balance, falling into the water. He feels his waist being dragged by a pair of hands and opens his eyes to see Hoseok’s face in front of him, his lavender hair floating and a big smile plastered on his lips before he pulls Kihyun closer and kisses him under water. Kihyun kisses him back until his lungs start burning at the lack of oxygen and he needs to breathe, opening his mouth to take deep intakes of fresh air once he’s out of the water.

“I want to take you somewhere.” Hoseok says once they’re out of the water, all dried and legs-y. “But we might need a motorboat.”

“I don’t have one.” Kihyun points out, drying his hair on the towel.

“But Minhyuk does. And I kinda borrowed his keys.”

“So you stole them.”

“Kind of?”

Kihyun watches as Hoseok fumbles inside the bag he’s brought earlier that morning to the beach and pulls out a keychain.

“Let’s go tomorrow first hour in the morning.”

“You’re seriously trying to kill me from lack of sleep.” Kihyun groans, but he understands. Hoseok’s safety comes first.

“I’ll make it up to you.” Hoseok winks at him, holding his hand to head back into town and go to work.

 

Kihyun has never ridden a motorboat before. He’s never even ridden anything in his life before, so to start with a motorboat doesn’t seem like a suitable option, but Hoseok insists and Kihyun has agreed even from before.

He pulls the rope to start the engine and squeals when the motorboat starts running, the whole boat vibrating and making Kihyun stumble and almost trip. Hoseok is sitting at the back, refusing to get in the water at the harbour, because the water is too polluted and oily and would get him sick.

They manage to get out of the harbour and enter the open sea, Hoseok being the one driving the motorboat and Kihyun standing next to him, more scared of them breaking the whole thing than anything else. Minhyuk would skin them alive and throw them into the sharks.

They reach the nearest island, Bijindo, in a matter of minutes; Hoseok stops the engine when they are still in the middle of the sea but with the island standing in front of them.

He quickly takes off his clothes and jumps headfirst into the water, with bubbles surrounding him as his legs morph into his pretty light-pink tail. Kihyun has grown to love it very fondly, because it’s Hoseok and he’s just so beautiful.

“Come here.” Hoseok props his elbows on the edge of the motorboat and rests his weight over them, his tail and fluke surfacing from behind.

“You know I can’t breathe underwater, right?” Kihyun questions while he starts taking off his own clothes.

“Don’t worry, I can swim very fast in case you were about to drown, but the place I want to take you is really not that far and there’s air.” Hoseok smiles at him, his eyes turning into crescents and his teeth showing, and Kihyun is so head over heels that Hoseok could tell him to get inside a shark’s jaw and he would very diligently. “We can go scuba diving next time, I want to show you many things.”

Kihyun is not sure about anything of this but he trusts Hoseok with his life so he jumps into the water once he’s only wearing his trunks and diving goggles.

Hoseok holds his hand and tells him to take a deep breath, storing the most oxygen inside his lungs as possible before he submerges and drags Kihyun along.

Kihyun wants to take a proper look at everything surrounding him, but Hoseok was right, he could swim _very_ fast. With a couple of tail flicks they’re at the entrance of some cave, and they have moved so fast that Kihyun isn’t sure how he hasn’t dislocated his shoulder.

The entrance of the cave is breath-taking; there are rocks everywhere covered in glow-in-the-dark plants, giving the whole cave a blue illumination and Kihyun can see everything even though they’re underwater and out of the sun’s reach. He spots an octopus crawling between two rocks and banks of fishes swimming along.

He starts feeling out of breath when Hoseok drags him upwards and their heads pop out of the water.

Kihyun sucks on the air and almost chokes, trying to fill his lungs with oxygen before he properly looks around, and what he sees leaves him even more breathless.

The whole cave is actually a volcano, only half-filled with water, and its opening is completely clouded by stalactites and other types of rocks, all covered as well in glow-in-the-dark plants, as if they were fireflies. Kihyun looks around in awe.

“Holy shit, this is gorgeous.” He says, tilting his head to fully look at everything. He curses at himself for not having brought his camera and makes a mental note of asking Hoseok to comeback any other day.

“I know.” Hoseok smiles, swimming around the lake that is created inside the volcano. At the blue neon light his hair looks more purplish and his cheeks more kissable and Kihyun thinks he might be a little bit in love because his heart skips a beat everytime he looks at the merman he has in front of him. He wonders if it was some kind of charm that came along with having a tail, but he didn’t care.

“Sit there.” Hoseok motions for Kihyun to get on one of the rocks that protrude out of the volcano walls and form small seats. He does and Hoseok places between his legs, supporting himself on Kihyun’s thighs to lift his body and kiss him.

Hoseok tastes even more like salt and fish when he’s in his merman form, but Kihyun couldn’t care less. The smell of the sea always reminded him of home and Kihyun thinks that suits Hoseok just fine. He might be 17, but everything he feels for Hoseok feels real and he doesn’t care about being young. Hoseok is not going to be forever with him anyways, and the thought makes him sad.

Hoseok might have noticed because he kisses Kihyun deeper and holds onto him tighter, and Kihyun wants to ask him not to leave, but he can’t.

“Do you remember what I told you yesterday?” Hoseok asks, breathing against his lips.

Kihyun frowns.

“What was it?”

“That I’d make it up to you for making you wake up so early.” Hoseok replies, palming Kihyun’s half hard-on over his trucks.

“ _Oh_.”

Kihyun closes his eyes when Hoseok pulls his dick out of his trucks and pumps him into full hardness, the water making it easier for his hand to slide up and down, and then he engulfs his dick with his mouth and sucks him off, hollowing his cheeks and taking as much of the length as he can, so good that Kihyun can’t believe he’s never sucked dick before.

He buries his fingers inside the wet strands of Hoseok’s hair and tries hard not to buck his hips into the older’s mouth, but then Hoseok uses his tongue as well, running it all over his throbbing veins and around the tip, and Kihyun comes inside his mouth with a choked moan that echoes throughout the entire cave.

Hoseok lifts his head to look at him and there’s some cum dripping down his chin that Kihyun wipes away with his hand before pulling him into a kiss. He pats the seat next to him and Hoseok hops onto the rock, carefully not to hurt his tail with any sharp peaks as he places next to him.

Kihyun throws his arms around his body and shifts closer, resting his hand on his shoulder and interlocking their fingers as he waits for his breathing and heart to steady, even though the latter never happened when he was next to Hoseok.

“I like you.” Kihyun says, his voice too loud inside the silent cave, even when he’s almost murmuring.

Hoseok holds his chain to look at him.

“I like you too.” He says, biting his lower lip. “And I can’t help but to feel sorry about all of this.”

“It’s not your fault.” Kihyun rubs his palm with his thumb, trying to reassure him. He’s completely devastated about the idea of Hoseok leaving, but he knows it must be the hardest for him since he’s the one leaving and not having any other choice. He has to be strong for the both of them. “I will always like you no matter what.”

Hoseok prods at his side, chuckling, but it’s more sad than anything else and it breaks Kihyun’s heart.

“Hey, don’t say such things. You need to get that degree in Music and get married and do all these things human beings do.” His lips tremble and Kihyun grabs his hand tighter. “But promise me you will never forget about me, even when you’re old and grey.”

“I will never forget you, Hoseok, I will never forget us.” Kihyun doesn’t like promises but this, he can promise.

“Good.” Hoseok kisses him again, deeply and gently, holding him so close and tight that Kihyun thinks he might break in half but he doesn’t care.

He doesn’t let go of Hoseok’s hand all the way back into town.

 

*****

Kihyun and Hoseok get their hands all over each other everytime they find some free time and an available space, sometimes that being Kihyun’s bedroom when his grandfather is next door or early in the morning with Hoseok sprawled on a rock and Kihyun going down on him in very uncomfortable positions.

The worst one had been at Jooheon’s house when they threw a party for no reason at all and Minhyuk and Hyungwon had barged inside the room when Kihyun was sucking Hoseok’s dick. After all it had been a mess of yells, jokes, red cheeks and Kihyun almost strangling Minhyuk, but they very conveniently ignored the question about what they were going to do alone in the room as well. Everyone knew they had _something_ going on but they would not talk about it, Kihyun couldn’t even get a word from Minhyuk when they were alone. He was that stubborn.

It’s Friday night when Hoseok is reading a book next to him as he plays GTA on his laptop and his grandfather watches something on the TV in the living room. He must be half-deaf because the TV is so loud that Kihyun’s bed almost vibrates with the sound.

He opens the door of the room without any warning and Kihyun almost has a heart attack – he thanks all the gods in the world that they were only chilling around and not doing unholy encounters.

“Kid, I’m going to the bar for the rest of the evening and probably half of the night. I made it to the semi-finals of the card competition and I’ve got some prize to win.”

Kihyun chuckles and he gets off bed to hug his grandfather. He’s now shorter than him and Kihyun can hug him entirely.

“That’s my grandpa!” he says, giving him the thumbs up. “You can win, I have my faith on you.”

“You better.” His grandfather laughs, smiling at Hoseok too. “You two don’t go to bed late, there’s work to do tomorrow.”

“Yes!” they both reply, bowing to his grandfather before he leaves the room.

Hoseok kisses him as soon as they hear the door closing, making Kihyun gasp in surprise.

“Easy there, tiger.” He laughs in between kisses, but it dies quickly when Hoseok sucks harder than usual on his neck. “What is this, I give you a blowjob once and now you’re all about sex?”

Hoseok blushes against his neck, trying to hide his face as he whimpers.

“I just want to be next to you all the time.” He confesses, shyly. Kihyun’s heart swells inside his chest. “And I like doing this with you.”

“I like it, too.” Kihyun holds his chin to give him a peck. “And I like you.”

“Shut up.” Hoseok punches him lightly on the shoulder, all flustered.

Kihyun grabs the bottle of lube they bought the other day at the convenience store along with a box of condoms they have yet to use, almost dying from embarrassment and silently praying that no one at the store knew them and his grandfather wouldn’t find out.

The box of condoms remains unopened inside the drawer, meanwhile the bottle of lube is half-used already, as they use it for both – Kihyun to rub himself between Hoseok’s thighs and to finger him, that’s the furthest they’ve gone for now.

They take their sweet time undressing and feeling each other’s body before they get on the bed. Kihyun pours a nice amount of lube on his hands and Hoseok’s hole, rubbing his fingers before prodding one against his entrance and pushing gently. Hoseok squirms under his touch and waits to get used to the sudden intrusion before he asks Kihyun to move and, eventually, to give him more – he’s taken already three fingers inside and, when one day Kihyun hit his prostate out of sudden, he came untouched, surprising them both.

Now they’re both more used to it and Kihyun knows where to touch and which things to do to bring Hoseok over the edge, before he takes his neglected dick between his mouth and sucks him thoroughly, until Hoseok moans and comes inside his mouth, clenching around his fingers.

Kihyun kisses him softly, whispering at his ear how pretty he is and how much he likes him before Hoseok folds his legs and Kihyun pours more lube on his dick, before he pushes it between the older’s thighs, bucking his hips into the warm pressure.

It happens suddenly and it’s so unexpected that none of them move.

While Kihyun is thrusting into the space between Hoseok’s thighs, holding his legs above his shoulders and grabbing his waist, his dick slides downwards from all the stickiness due to the lube, and the tip presses against Hoseok’s previously fingered hole, the rim of muscles giving in and sucking it inside.

Hoseok gasps out loud when he feels his hole being suddenly stretched by Kihyun’s dick, but the sensation is more uncomfortable than painful.

“Fuck.” Kihyun utters, and proceeds to pull out but Hoseok holds him in place.

“Don’t.” he says, breathlessly. “Go ahead.”

“W-What.” Kihyun opens his eyes in surprise. They’ve done many things before but they’ve never gone any further than a few fingers. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.” Hoseok nods, pulling Kihyun’s face closer to kiss him. “I want to – do you?”

“ _Yes_.” Kihyun moans into the other’s lips when he grinds his hips and pushes his dick completely inside Hoseok. They’re not even using a condom and even though it’s irresponsible and reckless none of them could care less about it now.

Kihyun moves slowly. He bucks his hips, pushing his dick in and out of Hoseok, stretching him and letting him get used to the sensation before going at it properly. The warmth and tightness surrounding him is so much that Kihyun can barely hold in.

“Faster.” Hoseok says, hands on Kihyun’s back and lips against his collarbones.

Kihyun complies.

He grinds faster, rolling his hips against Hoseok’s body and thrusting into him at an erratic pace; it’s messy and their movements don’t seem to fit, but soon enough they fall into a perfect rhythm and Kihyun grinds when Hoseok lifts his hips, finally hitting that spot inside Hoseok that has him moaning Kihyun’s name and coming untouched between their bodies after a few minutes. He tightens even more around Kihyun, his body shaking as the orgasm hits him, and Kihyun can’t take it any longer – he thrusts faster into Hoseok and lets the orgasm reach him too, so strong that he sees white behind his eyelids and almost blacks out for a moment.

“Fuck.” He curses, falling atop of Hoseok. His body is still trembling and he embraces him.

“Fuck indeed.” Hoseok chuckles, threading Kihyun’s sweated hair.

“That wasn’t planned.” Kihyun points out, leaving soft, lazy kisses all over Hoseok’s jaw.

“I liked it, though. We should do it more often.”

“ _More_ often?” Kihyun snorts. “You’re indeed a bunny, all you do is fucking.”

Hoseok punches lightly his shoulder again and Kihyun pretends he’s hurt so that Hoseok can kiss it better, and lets the older man embrace him between his arms and they cuddle in bed for a little longer before heading to the kitchen to make dinner.

 

“I mean, I don’t know if this will work out.”

Kihyun stares at the scuba diving equipment in front of them, which Hyunwoo has lent him. He didn’t ask questions as to why only Kihyun was the one wearing them.

“Just try it on. The wetsuit might be a little big but yours is too tight.”

Hesitantly, Kihyun stuff himself inside Hyunwoo’s wetsuit, and it’s loose around his waist and legs but he can breathe properly and wouldn’t suffocate underwater.

“You see, it suits just fine.” Hoseok grabs the rest of the equipment and heads towards the motorboat they have stolen again from Minhyuk.

Kihyun doesn’t forget to take his waterproof camera this time around, and places it next to the diving tank. Kihyun has never had so many things on him before – the diving mask and snorkel, the regulator, the buoyancy compensator to control his position and the scuba fins. He feels like a penguin while trying to walk along the motorboat, and Hoseok laughs and teases him by saying this is the most handsome he’s ever seen him.

“There’s going to be a lot of things.” Hoseok warns him before getting into the water. “Just hold my hand and do not panic, nothing will hurt us.”

“I’m not scared!” Kihyun pouts around his snorkel. “I told you I’m a shark.”

“You just wait until you see them.” Hoseok laughs and jumps into the water, disappearing for a few seconds before his pink tail pops out of the water, his fluke splashing and soaking Kihyun. He would complain and groan, but instead he just closes his eyes and jumps inside too.

The nearest island is Bijindo, also known as the island where time stops. Kihyun understands why. Last time he barely had time to see anything when Hoseok dragged him into the glowing cave, but this time he has.

It’s a whole world underwater; full of coral reef, banks of fishes, sea turtles, jellyfishes and Kihyun even spots a dolphin swimming between seaweed and rocks. He looks as Hoseok swims closer the dolphin, petting him and even swimming next to him, with the same pace and it’s so beautiful that Kihyun’s heart could explode inside his chest.

He takes some pictures, of clownfishes swimming between sea anemones, of a blowfish that wanders alone in search of some food, a hidden octopus between rocks and a scared-y squid that spurts its ink when Kihyun tries to approach him, drawing away as fast as it can.

Hoseok grabs his hand then, and drags him a little further, where there is even a bigger explosion of colour from the coral reef, and Kihyun spots a couple of nursing sharks quietly swimming around and he almost has a heart attack. _Okay_ , seeing sharks up close is really not that easy. He tries to keep his distance, watching from afar and almost hiding behind one of the reefs. He feels a pair of hands landing on his shoulders and he _screams_ around his snorkel, only to turn around and meet Hoseok laughing at him, bubbles coming out of his mouth. He shakes his head and leans in to give a peck on his cheek before holding his hand and taking him somewhere else. They see sea urchins, starfishes, sea cucumbers and barracudas, there’s even a little seal swimming around the reef and splashing its small tail as it swims closer to them, obviously curious. Hoseok smiles as the seal swims around him and lets him pet its head, Kihyun could right there and then at the sight.

He lets out a surprised gasp when the seal approaches him too, hesitantly at first, and then lets him pet its head when it sees that he won’t hurt them. Kihyun notices it’s a her and she stays with them for a little longer before disappearing into the depths of the ocean.

Kihyun takes pictures of everything, even from an ugly eel that greets him from underneath a rock and crawls back inside as soon as Kihyun takes the shot, obviously not happy with such intrusion in their quiet life. 

He lies backwards and watches as the tides move back and forth, the sun rays coming through the surface and giving off a dreamy feeling to it all. Hoseok’s lavender hair suddenly covers the sun in front of him, a wide smile on his face and Kihyun thinks that’s the only sun he will ever need in his life.

Hoseok takes off the snorkel for a few seconds and kisses him right there, holding Kihyun’s cheeks so gently but at the same time, so tight, not wanting to let go of him.

Kihyun realizes he might be a little too much in love and that he’s doomed for the rest of his life, because there’s no way in Earth he’s going to ever forget this – forget Hoseok, forget _them_.

They go back into the surface when Kihyun’s dive computer announces the oxygen left in the tank is nearing its end. He hops onto the motorboat and helps Hoseok get inside too, his pink tail hanging over the edge, and they wait for the sun to dry them both and for the tail to disappear.

Feeling mushy out of sudden, he pulls Hoseok’s arm and kisses him again – holding onto him as if he never wanted to let go, because he did. He hoped Hoseok would understand, even if he couldn’t stay.

“For someone who calls themselves a shark you almost pissed yourself when you saw those nursing sharks down there.” Hoseok prods at his side when they get off the motorboat at the harbour. His hair is still damp but he’s dry enough to have his leg back, Kihyun’s notices there are fading bruises all over Hoseok’s inner thighs and he blushes furiously.

“Shut up.” Kihyun rolls his eyes. “I wasn’t scared, just _impressed_.”

Hoseok scoffs as he holds the now-empty oxygen tank between his arms. Kihyun didn’t have enough strength to carry it earlier.

“I should start calling you Sharkie from now on. _My_ sharkie.”

Kihyun wants to pretend he’s offended but the sudden cheesy pet name has his heart flipping inside his chest. He pouts nevertheless and tries to hide his flustered cheeks when Hoseok addresses him as his Sharkie all the way back into the town.

 

*****

They gather around the bonfire for the last time that summer.

Everyone knew Kihyun had to go back to Seoul and that Hoseok and Jooheon would have to eventually leave, but time flew too fast and suddenly the weight of the situation washed over them. No one wanted to leave or to be left behind.

Changkyun tried hard to suppress his sobs but, being the youngest one, it wasn’t the easiest thing to do, and Hoseok cries with him because he’s a cry-baby and then everyone ended up crying too, even Hyunwoo. There was no alcohol or drugs to blame this time, only the fact that they would never see each other again, or be like this ever again. They had shared only a few moments together but to Kihyun it felt as if they had always been part of their life, and somehow he knew they would always be. This summer would forever remain engraved in his heart like permanent ink.

“Fuck, I hate goodbyes.” Minhyuk says, choking with his words as he hides his face on Kihyun’s neck.

“We can still keep in touch, you dummy. I won’t disappear forever.” Kihyun wipes away his own tears as he pushes Minhyuk to cup his cheeks. “I’m not dying.”

“I know – but there’s still a year left before you will be back and they-” he points at Jooheon and Hoseok. “They _won’t_ be back.”

Kihyun chuckles because he _knows_ they won’t be back. He’s tried to push the thought to the back of his mind as much as he could, but now it was impossible. He really had to let go of Hoseok.

They drink the rest of the beers and soju they’ve bought for their last night together, but no one seemed eager to drink, only taking a few sips here and there, but the bottles remained mostly full. None was in the mood for that.

They talked some more until the bonfire died and they packed their things. Minhyuk never left his side, sitting between them both and only leaving when Hyungwon grabbed his hand and pulled him away.

“We will go to the train station tomorrow to say goodbye.” Hyungwon says, but Kihyun notices how his lower lip tremble. Fuck, this was too hard.

“I’ll see you there.” He replies, smiling softly as he hugs each one of the boys, and Changkyun cries again when both, Hoseok and him embrace him.

“Hyungs, I’ll miss you so much.” He says, his voice choked and breathy.

“Me too, Kyun.” Hoseok pats his head, giving a soft peck on his forehead. It only made Changkyun cry more.

He couldn’t stand being alone with Hoseok afterwards, he couldn’t bring himself to say goodbye to the man he was in love with him.

They sit in silence in front of the beach. For the longest time, no one dares to say anything, only listening to the soft ruffle of the waves crashing against the shore. Hoseok interlocks their fingers together and Kihyun’s heart breaks. He tries hard not to cry again, but the tears roll down his cheeks before he’s even able to stop them. Hoseok gives him a smile, halfway between sad and apologetic, and Kihyun squeezes his hand harder into his own.

“So this is finally it.” Hoseok breathes, resting his head on Kihyun’s shoulder like they did the very first time they kissed, on that same beach. “We have to say goodbye.”

Kihyun doesn’t respond, he doesn’t trust himself right now.

“When I first saw you that day you suddenly showed up during one of our bonfire meetings I surely did not expect that you would become so important to me.” Hoseok turns around and caresses Kihyun’s cheek with his other hand, the one that is not on Kihyun’s. “I’m going to miss you a lot, my little Sharkie.”

“Fuck, Seok, shut up.” Kihyun closes his eyes as a loud sob erupts from his chest, the hot tears rolling down his cheeks and his throat burning. “I’m going to miss you so much, too.”

Hoseok is crying too by the time he throws his arms around Kihyun and embraces him into a tight hug.

There’s a long silence that follows, so long that Kihyun wonders if it’s been hours, days or months, but they don’t move – they don’t dare to move and that it finally becomes real, that they have to be apart.

“Kihyun.” Hoseok holds his chin, making him look at him straight in the eyes. His eyes are red and puffy, but his expression is the most serious Kihyun has ever seen on him. “If – fuck, I really shouldn’t be saying this but-” he takes a deep breath, and Kihyun’s stomach shrinks with anxiety. “If I told you to wait for me, would you?”

“Yes.” Kihyun replies even before he’s had time to process what Hoseok has asked him to.

“If I told you that I would come back for you, would you wait for me? Would you still be here and want me?”

Kihyun nods several times, sudden anticipation – _hope_ – filling up his chest and making his blood rush through his veins.

“I don’t know how long that would be, though.” Hoseok doesn’t break the eye contact for one second, his hand still holding Kihyun’s chin. “Fuck, I shouldn’t be asking you this, it’s so selfish of me – you should be happy and get married and have kids and not wait for me for gods knows how much.”

“I don’t care.” Kihyun shakes his head. “I can wait, I- I love you. I can- I _will_ wait.”

Hoseok’s eyes get teary again and he brings his head closer to kiss Kihyun. The kiss tastes like salt and promises and hope, Kihyun is still hurt that Hoseok is going to leave, but he knows he will be back.

That they will be together.

“Spend the night with me.” Kihyun mutters against his lips, gently gracing the curve along Hoseok’s neck.

“Come to my house.” Hoseok replies, giving him a few pecks on the lips. “I’ll send Myungsoo off to Jooheon’s.”

“Will he be okay with that?”

“He can’t disagree with me, you know.” Hoseok smiles all condescendingly. “I’m the Prince after all.”

Myungsoo does refuse but in the end he has no other choice but to leave, because Hoseok asks him at least a hundred times before he utters a final _please_ , and Myungsoo leaves the house, grumbling and with some roasted chicken from the fridge under his arm.

Hoseok’s bedroom is blue. His duvet is blue, his walls are blue, even his curtains and the cushion of his office chair are blue. He told Kihyun it reminded him of home, and Kihyun recalled Hoseok must miss the sea a lot.

They kiss slowly and undress each other as if they had all the time in the world, as if that same world wouldn’t be ending for them the following day.

Kihyun kisses all over Hoseok’s spots and blemishes and traces constellations with them, but Hoseok was prettier than the sky and the sea together, he was so beautiful that Kihyun couldn’t understand how, but he loved every single bit of it.

He takes Hoseok inside his mouth and goes down on him gently – there’s nothing rushed or needy about this time; their last time together.

“Make love to me.” Kihyun whispers against the older’s ear, and he lets out a surprised gasp because they haven’t done it the other way around just yet.

“Are you sure?” Hoseok asks, peppering his jaw and neck with wet kisses.

Kihyun nods as he takes out the other bottle of lube they have at Hoseok’s, because they never knew when they’d have a chance to do it, and it’s fuller than the one at Kihyun’s house, because Myungsoo was almost always home.

Hoseok places between his legs as he pours lube on his fingers and preps Kihyun with all the care in the world, making sure not to hurt him and his lips never leaving his skin, as if they were glued to them.

“Come here.” Kihyun motions for Hoseok to kiss him and push his dick inside of him, stretching him more than the fingers have done but the arousal is bigger than the stinging pain and soon enough he’s ordering Hoseok to move, to grind his hips against him and undo him.

They move slowly, falling into a perfect rhythm that reminds Kihyun of the calm sea during the night, until Hoseok reaches his prostate and it feels so, so good that he throws his head back and moans, and then Hoseok moves faster and rougher and they both reach their climax within a few minutes, interlocking their fingers together as they do.

Kihyun holds tightly Hoseok’s body, on top of him, and whispers _I love you_ to his ear.

“I love you too.” Hoseok replies back.

The next morning, Hoseok accompanies Kihyun to his house early in the morning so that he can pack his stuff and go to the train station.

Kihyun’s fingers tingle and his chest feels heavy – he’s never been one of farewells and this one is breaking him.

“Kihyun.”

He turns around to look at Hoseok once they’re in front of his house; Kihyun thinks his grandfather is still asleep because it’s too early in the morning.

“Turn around.”

With a frown on his face, Kihyun turns around, facing the harbour from the top of the hill where his house is, and Hoseok leaves a short kiss on his shoulder before he feels the cold sensation of a chain around his neck. He gasps in surprise and looks down to see Hoseok’s mermaid necklace.

“Keep this with you until we meet again.” Hoseok whispers, back-hugging him.

Kihyun wants to say something but words don’t come out, only a deep sigh and a short peck on Hoseok’s lips.

 

All the boys come say goodbye at the train station, even Hoseok and Jooheon. Apparently, they didn’t shed enough tears the previous night because everyone is weeping again and Kihyun, for the very first time in his life, wishes the train would arrive overdue.

He hugs Minhyuk and tells him not to be a dick towards Hyungwon (who joins the hug) and finally accept what they have, embraces Changkyun even tighter as the kid sobs into his shoulder, Hyunwoo pats his head and Jooheon gives him his favourite dimple-smile. Kihyun wishes he could stop time and stay here forever, but he can’t.

Instead, he pulls his camera and asks them to gather behind as he takes a picture of their last moments together as seven, and promises he will send a copy to each one of them.

Hoseok is the last one to say goodbye.

“I’ll be waiting.” Kihyun says, pulling the collar of his neck to kiss him.

“I’ll come back for you.” Hoseok mutters again his lips, whispering so that Jooheon wouldn’t overhear them and throw their bodies in front of the train. “I love you, my Sharkie.”

Kihyun chuckles. He hears the train bell from the distance, warning them of its arrival.

“Me too.”

With another peck, Kihyun grabs his suitcase and gets on the train.

There’s a burning feeling on his chest when the train starts and the boys wave him goodbye from the window; Kihyun watches as they disappear into the distance and he squeezes into his seat.

Kihyun remembers how, at the beginning of summer, he had been angry at his mother for sending him to spend his holidays at his grandfather. Now, in retrospective, he couldn’t be happier – because it brought him to a new group of friends that he could call family, and it brought him to Hoseok.

Kihyun could wait.

He would wait until Hoseok would come back to him.

 

*****

12 years later.

Kihyun parks his car near the harbour, a few meters away from his grandfather’s house. Even when he died a few years ago, it remains still the same, Kihyun made sure everything was kept in place and even his old bedroom hasn’t changed, except from the new pictures Kihyun has added to the collage on his wall, full of seven smiles filled with hope and happiness. It made Kihyun’s heart feel warm whenever he looked at them.

Everything was still the same, yet it wasn’t.

After that summer, everyone followed their own path. Sure, they sometimes met up, but it was not the same. It was not the seven of them.

Hyunwoo and Changkyun moved into the city, while Hyungwon and Minhyuk finally moved in together, taking over their parents’ business. They were the easiest to reach and Kihyun would always meet up with them at least once whenever he was back in town, every summer after their first one.

Minhyuk stopped laughing at him for dyeing his hair light-pink and keeping it even after all these years, even when he’s 29 and an established song-writer and sometimes a singer under a company. Even then, Kihyun still couldn’t let go.

He almost stops breathing that night when he heads to the beach after having had dinner with the couple, a tradition they always kept whenever Kihyun arrived in town.

His eyes land on the silhouette sitting in front of the shore, with his legs folded and lavender hair dishevelled with the wind.

His legs tremble and he almost falls on his knees.

With wobbly limbs, he approaches the seated boy and sits next to him.

Hoseok smiles softly.

“Hey.” He says. He had grown in size since Kihyun last met him – his shoulders were wider and his arms too, but his face remained the same. If anything, he looked even more beautiful.

“Hey you.” Kihyun replies, biting his lower lip, which has started trembling violently.

Throughout all these years he’s never been with anyone else. Sure, he’s slept around and stuff, but he has never been with anyone else. He had waited for Hoseok.

“I wasn’t sure whether you’d be here or not.” Hoseok confesses, turning around to look at him. Kihyun notices how he’s trying hard not to cry as well.

“I was. I waited for you, I- I knew you would be back if you had told me to wait.” Kihyun rushes to reply, his heart still skipping a beat inside his chest when Hoseok interlocks their fingers, just like it had done years ago.

“I came back for you.” Hoseok’s hands are trembling too. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“You’re back? For good?” Kihyun’s chest fills with anticipation and excitement.

Hoseok smiles shyly when he nods.

“I am. My younger brother turned 19 this year and I transferred the crown to him. My father and Jooheon almost had a stroke, but I feel like, deep inside, they’ve always known. Mostly Jooehon. I gave up my crown and I came for you.”

“B-But, you won’t be back? Ever again?” Kihyun asks, worried. He doesn’t want to keep Hoseok apart from his family.

“Leaving meant giving up my tail.” Hoseok bites his lower lip. “So I can’t go back, but they will visit so it’s alright.”

“But Hoseok! You can’t- you just-”

“Shh.” Hoseok holds his chin like he always used to do. “I promised you I would come back. Being away from you was tearing me apart. I couldn’t stand the thought of never seeing you again.”

“I missed you too.” Kihyun hides his face on the crook of his neck, Hoseok’s scent filling up his nostrils and making him feel warm inside.

“I spent many years with them, but it’s about time that I spent many years with you too.” Hoseok closes the distance between them and kisses him gently. “If you want to.”

“Are you fucking stupid.” Kihyun chuckles, happy tears rolling down his cheeks. “I’ve waited all these years – damn, I even dyed my hair pink because I missed you so much, and you have the guts to ask me if I want to spend my days with you?”

Hoseok laughs as he kisses him again.

“Just making sure.”

 

A few months later, they get married in that exact beach, and everyone comes to the wedding – even Jooheon, Kihyun still has no idea how he found out about it, but he came and it was perfect; the seven of them together again while Kihyun held Hoseok’s hand, his old mermaid necklace still around his neck as they committed to spend the rest of their lives together.

Even if there were hardships and they sometimes fought, they always found their way back to each other, like the sea waves always found their way into the shore.

**Author's Note:**

> please let me know what you think and thank you for reading ;uu; ❤️


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